John J. Elder, P.E., Manager – Power Systems & Market Design

Jack has 40 years of experience in the power industry. Mr. Elder supervises LAI’s production simulation and transmission load flow modeling efforts to derive forward locational energy prices and is an authority on technical operating and performance issues. He has performed analyses of transmission pricing and access reforms under FERC initiatives and has provided utility clients with engineering economic evaluations and performance assessments of power stations. Mr. Elder also has extensive technical and supervisory expertise in thermodynamic performance and heat balances for fossil fuel power plants, fluid systems design, technology assessment, and steam cycle optimization.

Before joining LAI, Mr. Elder worked for at Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation as Principal Mechanical Engineer. Mr. Elder received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a registered professional engineer in Massachusetts.

Philip L. Curlett, P.E., Manager – Energy Systems Analysis

Phil has close to 40 years of experience in the energy industry with a broad background in engineering, development, and financing of generation facilities and infrastructure projects. Mr. Curlett has conducted technical performance and project financial analyses for developers, lenders, and power purchasers, as well as for utilities and government agencies. He has also developed RFPs and managed bid evaluations for purchased power and EPC solicitations. He has been active in many aspects of utility deregulation and privatization of infrastructure services in North America and several developing countries. Mr. Curlett is a leading expert in energy systems modeling and assessment. He has operated fluid flow models of natural gas pipeline systems for regional deliverability assessments and chronological power production simulation models for energy price forecasting.

Prior to joining LAI in 2000, Mr. Curlett was a Project Development Manager at Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation where he also held positions in the Heat Balance, Technical Studies, and Advanced Technologies groups. Mr. Curlett received a combined B.A. and B.S. degree in Economics and Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University. He holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell and an M.B.A. from Babson College, and is a registered professional engineer in Massachusetts.

Michael C. Lints, P.E., Ph.D., Manager – Power Technology

Mike has over 25 years of experience in energy technology assessment, operational analysis, and applying advanced modeling techniques. Dr. Lints’ expertise includes a variety of fossil power generation technologies, in particular, advanced turbine designs, waste coal, conventional coal, and biomass, as well as heat transfer, plant O&M standards, and engineering economics. Dr. Lints has formulated mathematical models to account for the price effects attributable to merchant exit, volatility, and plant optionality; has applied decision risk analysis to LAI’s litigation support services; and has applied linear programming techniques to optimize competitive power procurements. He has conducted pipeline network pressure / flow simulations and optimization analyses of regional gas pipeline delivery capability and bulk power security throughout the Northeast. Dr. Lints has submitted expert testimony before state regulatory commissions.

Prior to joining LAI in 1990, Dr. Lints was President of Rochester Engineering. He is a registered professional engineer in New York. Dr. Lints holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Sara Wilmer, Executive Consultant

Sara has 12 years of expertise in chemical engineering, power generation, heat dynamics and pipeline simulation modeling. She has developed steady-state and transient flow models of pipeline systems in order to analyze regional gas flows, delivery capacity, and contingency responses. She has supported RFP and procurement processes through website development and proposal analysis for many utility and regulatory clients. Ms. Wilmer has provided quantitative research, data management, and engineering and modeling support for a variety of projects, including market price forecasting and infrastructure assessments.

Ms. Wilmer has previous energy experience in legislative and policy analysis research for the Northeast-Midwest Coalition Congressional and Senate staff. She received her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Edward K. Tsikirayi, Executive Consultant

Ed has 22 years of bulk power planning and operations experience, including transmission-constrained reliability assessments and competitive market production simulations. He utilizes LAI’s suite of chronological simulation and transmission load flow models to conduct resource adequacy assessments, energy price forecasts, and load / optimal power flow analysis. Mr. Tsikirayi has conducted numerous multi-regional and inter-market price forecasts for LAI clients, evaluated the need for proposed transmission upgrades and their impacts on inter-zonal transfer limits, assessed transmission development and ISO/RTO market issues, and quantified capacity deliverability. He has also assisted clients in power procurement design and administration, developing Requests for Proposals, interpreting market rules, and providing on-site oversight.

Prior to joining LAI, Mr. Tsikirayi was Lead Engineer for Power Supply and Reliability Planning with ISO-NE where he performed reliability assessments, participated in ISO-NE’s Regional Transmission Expansion Planning Process, and represented ISO-NE on the NPCC CP-8 working group. Prior to ISO-NE, Mr. Tsikirayi worked as Principal Engineer for Generation Expansion Planning at the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority and was the utility’s representative on the Southern African Power Pool’s Generation Planning Working Group. Mr. Tsikirayi received his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute.

Boris L. Shapiro, Ph.D., Executive Consultant

Boris has 36 years of experience in the energy industry, including power plant design and performance, power system planning and operations, and market design. He has international consulting and domestic regulatory experience providing technical and commercial advice to state utility regulatory commissions, electric power utilities, and system operators in the restructuring of the electric power industry, and the design and implementation of energy markets. Dr. Shapiro has provided expert witness testimony before FERC, and before state commissions on various matters related to the technical, economic, and reliability aspects of transmission project proposals, generation procurement, demand response and energy efficiency resources, as well as on the wholesale market related issues. Dr. Shapiro supervises LAI’s forward capacity market modeling effort and analytical framework for non-transmission alternative resources’ evaluation, including demand resources.

Prior to joining LAI, Dr. Shapiro worked for the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities and for PA Consulting Group. He received his M. S. degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, and a Ph. D. in Electric Power from the Russian Electric Power Research Institute.

Diane A. Rigos, Ph.D., Executive Consultant

Diane has 27 years of renewable power and physical chemistry experience. Her energy research has focused on LNG, fuel cells, and renewable technologies including onshore / offshore wind and solar photovoltaics. She has assisted clients with evaluations of power supply proposals, technical and safety advice on proposed LNG projects, the development and valuation of wind plants, electric interconnection and system upgrade costs for merchant generators, and emission rates for alternative resource options. She uses LAI’s electric market simulation model to calculate locational energy prices and compare alternative energy and fuel scenarios. Dr. Rigos headed up LAI’s wind studies for ISO-NE and is responsible for the firm’s treatment of solar, onshore, and offshore wind resources.

Prior to joining LAI, Dr. Rigos was Chair and Associate Professor of Chemistry at Merrimack College. In addition, Dr. Rigos was a Principal Scientist at Physical Sciences Inc. where she worked on defense and energy contracts. Dr. Rigos received a B.A. in Chemistry from Cornell University, a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an M.B.A. from Northeastern University.

Matthew J. DeCourcey, Senior Consultant

Matt has 10 years of experience in power and fuels economics and financial analysis. He advises clients on capacity market dynamics and pricing, and has assisted utilities and regulators with power and gas procurement matters, risk management procedures, trading strategies, asset optimization, and regulatory initiatives. Mr. DeCourcey has developed numerous long- and short-term price forecasts for gas, electricity, oil, and solid fuels and has worked extensively on the development and evaluation of capacity demand mechanisms.

Prior to joining LAI, Mr. DeCourcey worked for SmartEnergy, Inc., an energy services company operating in the New York and PJM markets. Mr. DeCourcey holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Alexander J. Mattfolk, Senior Consultant

Alex provides research, modeling, and analytic support for several projects. He has prepared quantitative analyses and modeling support for FERC technical conferences and written detailed analysis of FERC proceedings. Mr. Mattfolk has also reviewed applicant testimony, produced interrogatories, and assisted in drafting testimony for Maryland PSC hearings concerning a utility merger and its effect on ratepayers. He has also performed RFP support by quantifying the socio-economic impacts of combined-cycle plant construction using input-output analysis modeling.

Mr. Mattfolk received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed a minor in economics. His coursework included Energy Decisions, Markets, and Policies and Sustainability.

Tiago V. Costa, Consultant

Tiago provides research and analytic support. Mr. Costa has developed proposals and determined the scope of work, costs, and energy savings for energy conservation projects. He has worked with utility company representatives on utility incentive programs and has developed a state-of-the-art assessment to analyze performance and design, economics, externalities, and potential policies of tidal power projects.

Prior to joining LAI in 2014, Mr. Costa was an energy engineer with Guardian Energy Management Solutions. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University where his courses included Power Generation Systems. He also completed coursework in Business Administration at the Federal University of Minas Gerais.